Uruguay's Copa America odds took an unexpected hit Wednesday when coach Oscar Tabarez revealed star striker Luis Suarez will not be available tonight against Venezuela and may be out for the entire tournament.
From Yahoo:
"Luis Suarez is still in recovery, it's the 17th day, and he is still not ready. That being the case, he will not play," Tabarez told a press conference on Wednesday.
The veteran Uruguay coach even suggested Suarez may not take any part in the tournament, hinting he could be held back to ensure his fitness for upcoming World Cup qualifying games.
Uruguay currently lead South America's 2018 qualifying standings after six games.
So Suarez might actually be hurt but they might just be keeping him out because they care a lot more about World Cup qualifying than they do about the Copa America Centenario. That's helpful.
My theory: Tabarez knows Uruguay's good enough to get by Venezuela and Jamaica without Suarez, so leaving him out to heal makes sense. That way they can have Suarez fresh for the knockout rounds while keeping potential opponents in their toes having to prepare for Uruguay with Suarez and Uruguay without Suarez without knowing which one it will be.
Yes, making the World Cup in 2018 is important, but Uruguay are already in first and South America's other powerhouses (Argentina and Brazil) have sucked in qualifying so far. Methinks Suarez makes a miraculous recovery if Uruguay wind up in the quarterfinals.
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
